Electric signaling apparatus



FLFAVARGER ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 31, 1924 17Mom/ \NVENTOR Trance/s Tel 027 BY: 25%; d

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 2, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCOIS FAVARGER, OF NEUCHATEL, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR, MESNE ASSIGN-KEN'I'S, TO NATIONAL TELEREGISTER CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ACOB- I'OBATION OF DELAWARE.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Application filed October 31, 1924; Serial No. 747,146, and inSwitzerland November '12, 1923. Renewed September 23, 1927.

This invention relates to electric signaling apparatus and moreparticularly to apparatus for connecting a signaling circuit to a sourceof current during' an interval, or' a se'-;

ries of intervals, of accurately ,measured duration.

The invention is particularly adapted to the transmission of impulses orgroups of impulses of accurately measured length which -may, accordingto certain phases of the invention, also be separated by interruptionsof equal length; The apparatus is therefore adapted for use in theoperation of signaling circuits, as for example in the control ofelectromagnetically operated indicatin; devices located at a distance.

The objects of this invention include the provision of apparatus'andequipment of the above indicated class which is dependable,

etlicient and rapid in operation.

Various further'and more specific objects, features and advantages willclearly appear from the detailed description given below taken inconnection with the accompan ing drawing: which forms a part of thisspecification and illustrates Inerelyby way of exam: ple one of thevarious possible embodiments of the invention. I

The invention consists in such novelfeatures, arrangements andcombinations otdevices and circuits as maybe shown and described in theapparatus herein disclosed by way of example. only as illustrative of apreferred arrangement.

The drawing illustrates diagrammatically the particular example of theinvention hereinafter described. i

In the drawine: the devices indicated by the numerals 1. and 1' maycomprise electromae'netically operated 'or other electrically operatedindicating-units. such for example as the stock, commodity or exchangeindicatinq' units shown in applicants copendingapplication Serial No.613,012. filed January 16. 1923. correspondinq to British Patent192.055. accepted April 3. 1924. 7

It will be understood that the indicating members 1 and 1' illustrate byway of example two of a relatively large erroup of indicators allactuated bv either the same apparatus as hereinafter described. orapparatus similar thereto and associated therewith. Where a large groupof such devices are to be controlled from a distance, particularly wherecontrol is to be effected through selectlng mechanism as referred to inapplicants application Serial No. 613,012 above mentioned, it isdesirable for dependable operation that the actuating impulses shall beof accurately measured duration. Yet it is in many cases desirable toprovide manually operable means for initiating such impulses from timeto time more or less irregularly. The apparatus hereinafter describedprovides means for connecting a source of current to the signaling:circuit running to such indicators so that the desired impulses orgroups of impulses of accurately measured duration and /or frequency maybe trans mitted to the indicators either directly as indicateddiagrammatically inthe accompany V insrdrawing, or through relays orother devices and arran ements.

In the present example the device 1 is connected to a generator orsource of current- 2 by means of a wire 3 and also by means of a wire 4.by way of normally open switch 5. 6, formed by a pair of flexibleblades. The blade 6 forms moreover a contact with the flexible blade 7.which is connected with the positive terminal otthe cenerator 2 throughthe medium of conductors'8. 8' and a Contact making device 9. 10,consistin of a pair of flexible blades. The contact 10 aflords contactwith a flexible blade 11 fitted with a push button 12. The blade Unisconnected to the negative terminal of the enerator by conductors 14, 15.16 and 3. Between the conductors 15 and 16is inserted asmall rotaryelectric motor 17, which motor controls a switch or contact device 18,19and a contact making device 20. 21. actuated alternately by aradiallyextending lug 22 on the motor shaft.

It willbe noted in the drawinq' that the motor 17 i s provided with aseries field winding. thus insuring ample torque to promptly and. almostimmediately bring the motor to full speed after current is a pliedthereto, and since the mechanical load on the motor is negligible, themotor speed will remain uniform. Accordingly, the time intervals betweensuccessive actuations of the contact making devices operated by themotor also be uniform and of an accurately measured predeterminedduration. It will be 8 and to the contact 7, through the medium of tworelays 23,24, interposed in the line 25, 26. Each relay has armature 27and 28 respectively. The armature 28 is intended to engage the contact 7and to close simultaneously the associated contacts 7, 6 and 6, 5.

Thearmature 27 has for its object to close simultaneously the twoassociated contacts 29, 30 and 31, 32. The contact 29, 3O closes thefollowing circuit :Generator 2, positive terminal +3029 motor 17 163-generator 2, negative terminal, while the contact 31, 32, closes acircuit comprising the relays and switch 18, 19. This circuit is asfollows :Generator 2, positive terminal- 31-32-3-generator 2, negativeterminal. A condenser 3% may be arranged in parallel with the switch 18,19 in the ordinary manner to reduce arcing and contact deterioration.

The operation of the apparatusdescribed is as follows:

When the push button 12 is actuated either by hand or automatically, bymeans of a cam or other suitable mechanism .provided for that purpose,the contact devices 10,11 and 10, 9 simultaneously close theircorresponding circuits. Y V

The first of these circuits (generator 2, positive terminal l81O11-11-15 1716generator 2, negative terminal) starts the motor 17, whichrotates in the direction indicated by the arrow, while the secondcircuit (generator 2, positive terminal 1-8 1O982 12623-25-18-19 2021generator 2, negative terminal) remains open between 20 and 21. Thelatter is closed only at the moment when the lug 22 of the motor closesthe contact 20, 21. At this moment the relays 23, 24 are excited, as aresult of which the armatures 27 and 28 actuate the. associated contacts2930, 3132 and 7-6, 6 5. For this reason the relays 23 and 24 continueto be excited, although the contact 20, 21 may be opened again after thepassage of the lug 22 of the motor, because the exciting current passesthen into the par pivoted or rotatable armature for controllinganydesired indicating mechanism, such for instance as graduated disks ordrums, or needles) is then actuated by the impulse of current whichcontinues until the motor 17 actuates the switchor contact device 18, 19and thus interrupts the exciting circuit of the relays. The latter beingno longer excited the contacts which they actuated are opened again.This interruption of the circuit of the relays continues until the motor17 again closes the contact 20, 21, the switch or contact device 18, 19,being also closed. At this moment the relays are again excited so thatthe operations described are agaii'i repeated. Thus the excitation ofthe relays continues from the moment when the contact 20,21 is closed,until the switch or contact device 18 19 is opened. Inversely, theinterru tion oi the current in the relays continues rom the moment whenthe switch or contact device 18,

19 is opened until the contact 20, 21 is again closed. There may thus beobtained either a single impulse or an alternation of flow andinterruption of current in the relays of per; fectly regular succession,the frequency of these alternations being a function of the speed ofrotation of the motor 17 a series of impulses beingv obtained either byholding down the manual control key 12 during more than one revolutionof the motor rotated contact device 22 or. otherwise.

The device continues to operate as long as i ment (not shown). If thepressureexerted on the push'button 12 is interrupted the motor 17continues to rotate until the exciting circuit of the relays 23, 24 isinterrupted by the opening of the switch 18-19,- because as long as therelays are excited the current sup plying the motor 17 passes throughwhat may be termed the second or parallel motor circuit:Generator 2,positive terminal, 4' 30291517163 generator 2, negativeterminal. Thusthe duration of the last impulse of current actuating therelays 23, 2 1is'accurately measuredand if desired is ex ac'tly'equ'al to the durationof each of the preceding impulses, at whatever moment the push button 12is pressed or is released.

In theparticular arrangement shown, the

excitation of the electro-Inagnets or equiv-.

alent devices 1, 1 is thus dependent on the operation of the relay'24'in such manner that they receive intermittent currents and interruptionsof durations always equal inter' se, at whatever moment the-button 12 isressed or is released.

It will thus be observedthat the relays switch 20, 21after each impulseis initiated. In the particular exampleshown, therelay at 24 also to anextent at times controls the relay at 23 by virtue of the contact makingdevice 6, which "is also a relay stick switch. In addition, therelay at24 has a circuit interrupting device, namely, the

switch at 5,, 6, controllingthe application of current to the" signalingcircuit of the device 1 or "its equivalent. In additionfthe relay at 23,once the manually'operabl'eswitch 10, 11 is closed, maintains the motor17 in opertion by-"virtue of the stick switch at 29, 30.

It will be readily understood that instead of a single electromagneticindicator, a plurality of such indicators may be operated from theconductor 3 or its equivalent. The operating magnet and relayconnections for one of such additional indicators is illustrated in thedrawings in dotted lines. Also an additional push button and associatedcontacts are shown for the control of the same.

It will be understood that numerous additional indicator units may beconnected in like manner and that all of the same may be controlled fromthe single motor'circuit and relay 23 in the same manner as abovedescribed. That is, when the operator desires to actuate a certainindicator and the corresponding control relay therefor, he presses thecorresponding push button. The relay 23 may therefore be employed toact. as a motor relay common to a plurality of relays similar to relay24.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to aparticular preferred example thereof which gives satisfactory results,it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understandingthe invention, that various changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it isintended, therefore, in the appended claims to cover all such chan s andmodifications.

What is c aimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is 1. A signal transmitting apparatus, comprising asource of electrical current, a motor in electrical connection with saidsource, a pair of relays connected in series with said source, a systemof normally open contacts in the motor and relay circuits adapted toclose said circuits and cause rotation of the motor, a normally openswitch and a normally closed switch in the relay circuit, means carriedby the motor for closing and thereafter opening said normally openswitchand opening and closing said normally, closed switch once during eachrevolution of the! motor, a second circuit including said normallyclosed switch and connecting said relays in series with the source ofcurrent, a

sy'stem'of normally open contactsin said second'circuit, and meansoperable by the relays for closing said contacts and causing current'tocontinue to pass through the relays after the normally open switch hasbeen opened and before the opening of the normally closed switch. a I

"2. Apparatus for connecting 'a signaling circuit to a source ofcurrentduring an interval of accurately "measured duration, comprisinganelectric motor driven rotatable contact operating member, a manuallycontrolled starting circuit for the motor, asec-' 0nd motor circuitcontrolled by said member for continuing the rotation of the memberuntil the same is restored to a rest position after termination of themeasured interval, and a pair of cooperating relays havingcircuits'controlled by contacts at predetermined points along the pathof said member and successively operatively engaged by the samerespectively at the beginning and ending of said interval, said relaysand contacts being operatively associated to connect, and maintainconnected, the signaling circuit to the source of current during thesaid interval.

3. Apparatus for connecting a signaling circuit to a source of currentduring an interval of accurately measured duration, comprising anelectric motor driven rotatable contact operating member, a manuallycontrolled starting circuit for the motor, a second motor circuitcontrolled by said member for continuing the rotation ofthe member untilthe same is restored to a rest position after termination. of themeasured interval, and a pair of coopcrating relays having circuitscontrolled by contacts at predetermined points along the path of saidmember and successively operatively engaged by the samerespectively atthe beginning and ending of said interval, said relays and contactsbeing operatively associated to connect, and maintain connected, thesignaling circuit to the source of current during the said interval andalso to maintain said second motor circuit.

4. Apparatus for connecting a signaling circuit to a source of currentduring an interval of accurately measured duration, comprising anelectric motor driven rotatable contact operating member, a manuallycontrolled. starting circuit for the motor, a pair of cooperating relayshaving circuits, controlled by contacts at points along the path Icontrolling the operation of the other relay,

0nd motor circuit and also a stick switch said relays and contacts beingoperatively associated to connect, and maintain connected, the signalingcircuit to the source of our- 7 rent during the said interval; 7

5. Apparatus for connecting a signaling circuit to a source of currentduring an Interval of accurately measured duration;. comprising anelectric motor driven rota-table contact operating member, a manuallycontrolled starting circuit for. the motor, a pair of cooperating relayshaving circuits controlled by contacts at points along the path of saidmember and successively operatively engaged by the, same respectively atthe beginning and ending of said interval, a second motor circuit forcontinuing the rotation of the motor and said member until the same isrestored to a rest position after termination ot the measured interval,one of said relays having a stick switch controlling said sec 0nd motorcircuit and also a stlck sw tch controllingthe operation of theotherrelay, the other of said relays controlling a disconnecting switch. insaid signaling circuit and FRANQUIS rims-can also having a "stick switchcontrolling it-

